The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-09-08

He was hardly what could he called
handsome man. His form was good,
his hair and mustache were certainly
red, his eyebrows and eyelashes were
undeniably white, yet his gentleman
w air and fine conversational powers
would distinguish him in any society.
and in that one evening in that little
Roman theater he made himself so
agreeable to Maud and that, after he
had left us, we agreed that he was tho
most fascinating man we had ever met
He is ever so much homlier than
papa" said Maud. ''What is it that is
so charming about him. Belp"
Il think it is the fact that we have not
met another man except these little
oily Italians In weeks and weeks. We
shall have to look out or we will be
getting jealous of each other"
After this Mr.. Weber called upon us
very frequently. and together we four
visited old-time prisons and modern
st. Peters. and papa collected many a
relic from among the ruined editices OF
ancient Rome. while Maudie, Mr.. Web
or and myself sat among the fallen
though classic stones of the city which
had once ruled the world. and talked.
never shall forget those converse
tons. Mr. Weber was the most enter
tanning man l ever met We have
travelled extensively. but he had seen
far more than we had ever dreamed.
Delightful were those bright hours
beneath the blue italian skies. but they
were but the forerunners of the TRACE
DIV which darkened all our lives.
Will Weber had not been with us
long before l knew that he was in
terested in either Maud or myself.
could tell it by the CLEAN in his eye
when he joined us evenings-by his
every action. knew that in his breast
an affection dwelt for one or tho other
of us two.
The first week of our acquaintance
he brought letters of introduction from
prominent men in America to papa. anC
seemedAlways to be very anxious thai
we should understand that he was re-
spectacle in every way.
And this too strengthened the belief
l had formed concerning him.
But which was it,
Was it Maud? Was it MYSELF i
was hard to tell. and vet when / re
membered the glance l had met from
those gray eyes my cheek burned, and
l believed with joy that it was myself
and no other.
Cautiously l approached my sister.
''Mr Weber is very attentive to us
Maud. l wonder which of us it i:
which he admires?"
"You. too. have noticed it, thenp'
she replied, with a blush. ''Oh. Bel
Mabel! l was afraid that l might be
mistaken, and love him so, so dearly.
Oh, sister. dear sister, life would BIZ
nothing to me without his love. Oh
Bel. it is such strange feeling; all tina,
l have read of it never has half describ
ed this strange. delicious joy"
1t was we'll for me that she ran on il
this way for some moments. not ex
pecting any reply from me, for / dc
not know what I might have said tt
her. Never had l absolutely known be-
fore this moment that l loved VIII
Weber.
What could l doe Maude was my lit
tie motherless sister whom l had al
ways guarded so closely, and now she
was my rival.
For a moment hated her fiercely; my
heart throbbed in angry pain; coule
have struck her in my blind rage had il
not been that some restraining hanC
seemed to hold me fast. What was its
Perhaps it was the shadow of the com.
ing event of sorrow which gave me
fortitude to stand quietly looking at hel
while she boosted of the sweetness Of
tho n 40 ot;ov che horo 70 tbo ~, y, WHOM,
felt was mine, mine alone.
AS she innocently chatted on to the
sister in whom she felt she could fully
confde, my heart changed within ME
I must give him up and make nc
sign.
Will Weber must be nothing to me
but brother henceforth and forever
1t was agony to me, and I could moi
trust my voice to speak.
"Bel, what makes you act so queer?"
asked Maude at last ''Oh, I know
you think l ought not to talk like this,
even to you, until he has spoken to me
of his love. Never mind, Madam Pro.
priety. feel that it will not be long
before he speaks now"
ibid papa tell you we were all going
out to Mr.. Weber's place this afternoon
and have look at papa's treasures?''
Eyes. he did," replied Maud, land
l have been thinking that perhaps
may be invited to be the mistress of the
mansion before we leave it."
turned away with a burning pain
at my heart, and making an excuse
remained in our little room while
Maud, happy in her love-dream, went
down to luncheon with papa.
Shortly after this Mr.. Weber came
for us with one of the strange little
carriages peculiar. think, to modern
Rome, and we all started out to explore
Mr.. Weber's Italian residence, the
former abiding place of one of the
cruelest of old italian families.
The day was delightful. Mr.. Webe,
was in the brightest spirits. Maud was
gay and witty; papa was enthusiastic
over his bric-a-brac, and / alone was
silent.
Occasionally Mr.. Weber glanced
around at me as if to inquire the reason
for my quietness, but gave him no re-
sponsive chances, and it was not long
before we reached our destination.
| The place was new to Maud and my.
self, our only knowledge of it being
gained from the gentleman's reports
! of it and an occasional ride past il
upon our donkeys.
A closer acquaintance with it re-
vealed many feature which we had
not before suspected. 1t was old. very
old, and some way it brought back tt
me all the weird old Italian history
had ever read. The very air seemed
suggestive of the assassin's dagger ant
the terrible crimes of the Borgias O
| old.
I kept close by papa's side when We
looked over his collect on, and my ex
pertenced eye told me that he had no
been mistaken in the value of the ar
ticles before us.
Maud and Mr.. Weber were very
quiet, and after we had examined eacl
article and had read the descriptive
label papa had placed upon it, they
came around to my side, and Mr.. We
Der said:
Now we must all 60 over the ole